Good morning RVA: Wintry mix brings dangerous road (and temps in the mid-50s?)

If you’re on the roads early this morning, please be careful! Then get excited as temperatures hit the mid-50s this afternoon.

February 18, 2014; 7:17 AM • by Ross Catrow

Right now, as I type this, it’s 33 °F, and there’s a dusting of snow and sleet on the ground. This afternoon it’ll be 56 °F and sunny. I guess the only advice I can give is: dress in layers?

• As of now all area schools are open and ready for learnin’.
• Be careful, especially if you’re driving north or west of the city, until things warm up a bit and take care of this freezing rain.
• There are several accidents in the area due to the road conditions:

#RVAtraffic alert: All lanes are closed on I-64 east at Staples Mill Rd. (mm 185) due to crash in #Henrico. Backup is 1 mile. Expect delays.

— VDOT Richmond (@VaDOTRVA) February 18, 2014

#RVAtraffic alert: 2 lanes closed on I-95 south at Parham Rd. (mm 83) in #Henrico due to crash. Expect delays. #RVA

— VDOT Richmond (@VaDOTRVA) February 18, 2014

Overturned car on I64 near Laburnum exit. Slick & slippery conditions to blame! More @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/y0elnh8vtW

— Jerrita Patterson (@JerritaP) February 18, 2014

Cones are out I-95 south at Chamberlayne Ave. Safety truck is there. Car slid off the right shoulder. @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/UWCQbPS6VI— Kristen Luehrs (@KristenLuehrs) February 18, 2014

Crashes on icy 64 east close lanes near Glenside/Staples Mill. http://t.co/ZJqrJSTPWu

— CBS 6 WTVR Richmond (@CBS6) February 18, 2014

Traffic at standstill eastbound 64 at Staples Mill. Drive slowly.— Scott Wise (@Scott_Wise) February 18, 2014

Slippery roads! Crash blocks the right side of the road I-95 north near Lombardy St. pic.twitter.com/RrOpd1EjXH— NBC12 WWBT Richmond (@NBC12) February 18, 2014

Olympics watch

It’s been a busy 24 hours for Team USA. They picked up three medals, including a gold in ice dancing, a bronze in two-man bobsleigh (the first medal in that event in 62 years for the United States), and a bronze in men’s snowboard cross. That gives Team USA 19 medals total, which ties with Russian for first place.

Today’s medal events: men’s 15k mass start biathlon; women’s 3,000m relay; individual large hill cross-country; men’s 10,000m; and men’s ski halfpipe.

Water cooler

Yesterday Shamrock the Block announced that they’re moving the festival from Shockoe Bottom to the Boulevard. Last year in the Bottom, there was a tussle between Richmond’s finest and Richmond’s drunkest and severe overcrowding.

The Richmond Spiders men’s basketball team takes on George Washington this evening in The Robins Center. Richmond sits just half a game behind VCU in the Atlantic 10 standings and a win tonight over the Colonials would go a long way to securing a bye in the A-10 tournament. Tonight’s game will be televised on the NBC Sports Network.

Jimmy Fallon officially took over The Tonight Show last night.

Also, ski ballet was once an olympic sport:

Photo by: micala

February 18, 2014 7:17 AM 0 1 update